that things seem to have settled downis most definitely part of that. There area few things working together now thatgive us all something positive to promoteabout the region.”Without a doubt, there have beengrowing pains. The added rooms fromthe new hotel compete for customerswith smaller inns and bed-and-break-fast properties around Burke. The sameholds true for eating establishments:The Burke Mountain Hotel and Confer-ence Center has a coffee shop, pub, andrestaurant, which means people who eatand stay on the mountain don’t have toventure into town to spend their money.There is hope, however, that there willsoon be enough visitors for everybody —that a full slopeside hotel is an indicationof a booming business climate.

“We’re hopefully crossing the bridgesoon,” said Ide. “I think we’re getting tothe point where increased recreationalopportunities are leading to more visi-tors. That, in turn, means there are morepeople taking up more beds and goingout to eat throughout the community.”Curt Cuccia owns The Burke PublickHouse, a restaurant that sits at the baseof the Mountain Road — about threemiles from the lifts of the resort. Duringthe winters that the resort was operatingas “Q Burke,” Cuccia said he saw an in-crease in his business because skiers andriders, at philosophical odds with thealoof ownership group, had no intentionof eating at the mountain. But as ten-sions have eased and visitors have cometo the slopeside hotel, the environmenthas grown more competitive for Cuccia.

But he’s not complaining.

“The ski team designation for BMA
is just one development that has been a
positive for this community in the last
year or so,” said Cuccia. “That’s one of
those things that first helps the ski racers
and the school, but in the end, we hope, it
helps us all. I think it will. I think we are
all moving in the right direction here.” A

STATEMENT of OWNERSHIPMANAGEMENT and CIRCULATION(Required by 39 U.S.C. 3685)